2nd stage

by nyx_fierce

Summary:

Aftermath of the last showdown with the Nogitsune. Did Derek actually die?

Notes:

Was trying to process the movie actually happened and then this rant somehow came to existence. The title comes from the second stage of grief - anger. Seriously, fuck JD, just nope.

Chapter 1

'Hey, Roscoe, long time no see, looking good, baby.' Stiles whispered while running his hand over the hood of the Jeep. Eli saw him from afar and decided to confront the intruder. 

"What do you think you're doing to my car?" 

"Last time I checked it was still in my name. Hi, Eli." 

"Stiles?" Eli took a hesitant step forward. 

"Yeah, buddy, come here." He extended his arms sideways, so the teen wolf could barrel into him. 

"Missed you." Eli mumbled into Stiles' chest. 

"Yeah, I missed you too." 

"What are you doing here?" 

"I'm about to take care of you, apparently. Imagine my surprise when I got contacted by a lawyer that there will be a reading of Derek Hale's will. Fucking dumbass, got himself killed." Eli started growling and changed. "Oh, fangs, wow. So you're a werewolf after all. Put those away, I didn't mean to insult him. I'm just pissed no one told me something was going on here. Yeah, he knew I didn't want anything to do with this hell of a town, but he still had me in his corner, just in case, you know. That's what we do, did, save each other's asses." His voice cracked a little at the 'did' part. 

"Last sentence of that will went like this: 'Thanks for all the times you saved my life, sorry I didn't let you do it one more time.' Why didn't he?"

"Probably wanted to be rid of me finally." Stiles swatted the back of his head. "Hey!" 

"Never even think like that." Stiles chastised him and went back to admiring the car. 

"He hated that Jeep, you know." Eli commented. 

"Suuure, then why did he fix it? He hated that I left it behind. Probably felt that I left him behind." Stiles started laughing and then it changed to sobs. "I just realized he's always going to be the one that got away." 

"What do you mean?" 

"A near miss. We danced around each other a lot back in the day. There was never a good time for us. Since I was a teenager I knew there was something between us. But then he was with Blake, I got possessed, got together with Malia, he had Braeden. Then he left, I finally got Lydia, he got you. And then he decided to come live in the only place I really didn't want to be. What an asshole."

"He loved you too. Always pretended to be annoyed, but everyone could see the fondness behind it." 

"Lot good it did to us." Stiles commented sarcastically. 

*

"Where is he buried?" 

"There wasn't a body to bury, so…" 

"Say what now?" 

"He burned, like the rest of our family." 

"Wow, way to be morbid. I bet he thought he did it to save you all. Although I do wonder why it had to be him? He had you to take care of. Scott should be the one to do it, as the alpha and shit." 

"He told Scott that I'm his Pack now." 

"Like hell you are. Over my dead body. Why did he wish for me to take care of you and then say shit like that? Wanted to piss me off one last time, huh Der?" Stiles said while lifting his head up. 

"Yeah, the sheriff told me he had mixed feelings about the Jeep, I have a hunch he was actually talking about you." 

"He probably was. Alright, million dollar question, do you want to stay here or do you want to go with me to DC?" 

"Would you really uproot all your life like that? For me?" 

"Nothing's really holding me there, except work, I can transfer or do it remotely for a while. Do you actually want to stay here?" 

"I don't know, I have people here that care about me." 

"You'd still have them, no matter what." 

"Can I think about it?" 

"Of course. I took the week off, we can bond and say shit about your dad." 

"Can we go to the pit?" 

"Is that where he died?" 

"Yes and no. It looked like the Nemeton during everything and then we were back on the pit." Stiles' eyes widened and his heart skipped a bit. "What is it? What happened?" 

"Nothing, nothing. I just remembered something I'd need to check later. So, to the pit?" 

"Yeah, come on." 

"Are we taking the Jeep?" 

"Yes, do you want to drive it?" 

"I don't think I sat in the passenger seat since I was 8, it would be weird that way. Do you even have a license?" 

"Well, no, but no one ever arrested me while I drove it." 

"They got used to it that way. I started driving it at 14. What were they gonna do, arrest me? Sheriff's son? I don't think so." 

"Yeah, he always compares me to you." 

"Young delinquent, huh?" Stiles chuckled. "Drove your dad up the wall, didn't it?" 

"Immensely." 

*

"Who did the mountain ash barrier?" 

"Lydia said it was a guy named Harris." Stiles missed a step at that. 

"Like our old chemistry teacher? Wow, what the fuck is wrong with this town?" 

"You curse more than aunt Malia."

"Well, I have a stressful job." Stiles said while taking some of the ash to his hand. 

"I just thought adults weren't supposed to swear in the presence of teenagers." 

"I'm not that old. Shows the fuck they know. This whole thing smells fishy. I'm this-" He showed with his fingers less than an inch. "-close to sicking the feds on this whole town. Only thing I can think of comparing it to is a burning dumpster." Eli chuckled. 

 

~

 

"I would've called if I knew your number." 

"Haven't changed it since high school." 

"Oh, well, I deleted it after you dumped me." 

"Mal, you know it wasn't that easy." 

"Oh, so I told you I'd be there for you no matter what and you just left, how is it complicated?" 

"I killed a guy and lost a decade long friendship in less than a week, I thought you'd understand, given the circumstances." 

"And what are those?" 

"That you changed into a coyote for 8 years after something similar?" 

"That wasn't the same and you know it." 

"I know, I'm sorry for bringing it up. I didn't come here to scratch old wounds. Would you believe that I missed you?" 

"I would, doesn't mean that I missed you too." 

"Aww, you did, I know it." 

"Shut up, I didn't." 

"So be it. I have an errand to run, but I'll be back. Can I leave the youngest Hale with you and trust you to keep an eye on him, so he won't do anything stupid?" 

"Sure, we can dismantle the Jeep to pieces while you're gone, how about that?" 

"Why are you angry at me again?" 

"Not only at you. At everyone. They just leave me. My mom and sister, my adoptive dad, Peter isn't around much either, then there's you, Scott, Lydia, now Derek." 

"Half of them didn't mean to leave you, they died. What about the people that stayed?" 

"I guess I have Jordan now." 

"Do you now? Well, good for you." 

*

"Behave." Stiles said while looking pointedly at Eli. 

"Or what? You'll ground me?" 'Cheeky bastard.'

"I just might." He gave him a little more soft look. 

"Fine." Eli said with an eye roll. 

 

~

 

"Yeah, yeah, fuck you. Why didn't you call me?" 

"He asked me not to." Peter answered with regret in his voice. 

"Fucking dumbass. I wish I could bring him back just to kill him again." 

"Did you actually want something or just wanted to rant about my dead nephew?" 

"Yeah, it's gonna be awkward as hell, though. Can you meet me at school?" 

*

"Is there anything left of Derek?" 

"I thought you just went to find out his will?" 

"Not what I meant. Like of his person? Body I mean?" 

"Now I get the awkward part. To be true, I don't know. There were some ashes, but we can't be sure it was him or the Nogitsune. And then the illusion disappeared and there was nothing." Stiles hummed in acknowledgement. "What are you thinking?" 

"Are you sure it was an illusion, not a portal of some sort to the Nemeton?" 

"I'm not sure of anything these days. There was the part where you can't be a fox and a wolf, and then we have one. His eyes glowed fucking green, kinda like that Nazi lion's. I don't have a fucking idea what it even was. It burned with hellfire, though. That I saw."

"Are you certain it wasn't another illusion?" 

"Pretty much." 

"Would you go with me to that cursed tree to make sure? I have a weird feeling about it." 

"You remember where it is?" 

"More or less, that's why I have you." 

*

"I smell something." 

"Like what?" 

"Like ashes and burnt flesh." 

"Oh my God, if you say there's a heartbeat somewhere I'm gonna fucking faint." 

"Don't faint, I'm not dragging two bodies from here by myself." 

Stiles pretty much stopped breathing when he saw badly burned legs sticking out from behind the tree stump. 

"He's been here two fucking days and no one even had a thought to check?" 

"We watched him burn, there was a flash of the fire and then everything disappeared. What would you think?" 

"Apparently I thought to check here." 

"We can discuss it later, now what do we do?" 

"Could you roar? He'd heal faster if he's aware, you know that. I don't want him to spend the next 6 years in a coma." 

"Sure, but he would be in a lot of pain. At least there wasn't a wolfsbane in the fire this time." 

"So, we bring him home first?" 

"Yes, how do we lift him without causing more damage?" 

"Can we use your coat as a stretcher?" 

"Ugh, it's an expensive coat." 

"And this is your family." 

"I didn't say no, you know?" 

*

Peter's roar shook the windows, but got them the intended result. Derek opened his bright red eyes and gasped. Apparently the rest of their Pack heard it too, as barely ten minutes later there was an Eli running through their house, followed closely by a slightly bewildered Malia. 

"So, that was your errand." She commented finally seeing who was behind Stiles. Meanwhile Eli was hovering around Derek, too afraid to actually touch him. 

"I had a hunch, but I didn't want to get anyone's hopes up in case I was wrong." 

"Shouldn't we get him to the hospital?" 

"And explain his resurrection how?" 

"You're the big FBI guy, think of something." 

"I'm too exhausted to think right now, you know how much he weighs?" Derek grunted. "Yeah, yeah, big guy. That's what you get for trying to sacrifice yourself." Stiles smiled softly and went to bring Derek some water. He tried to stop himself from letting out a wet hiccup, but didn't really manage. Suddenly Peter was there with a comforting hand on his shoulder. 

"You did good, Stiles. He'll be okay." 

Chapter 2

Summary:

Would Lydia's dream come true?

It was the next day and Stiles needed to take a break from the emotions that hung in the air of the Hale house, so he decided to take a little ride. He was barely 2 minutes out when he noticed the strawberry blond banshee that broke his heart walking down the road. As he stopped and tried to get Lydia to get in his car and he wasn't watching the road, he didn't notice the truck that ran at his car from the back. 

The force of the collision got him thrown out of the front window. Lydia got a whiplash of air and glass. When she got back to herself she stood up and then immediately froze in place at the sight from her morbid premonition from all those years ago. The urge to vail was just at the back of her throat, but she dragged herself to the spot where Stiles was laying. Just like in her dream he wasn't breathing. When she got out of the initial shock, she tried breathing air into his lungs and then started chest compressions. 

Just as he regained consciousness, he started sputtering blood. Internal bleeding. He tried to tell her something, but she was busy calling the ambulance. 

"I'm sorry." 

"No, stop it, you're going to make it." 

Lucky for them they were really close to Derek's house. Stiles noticed him first, because Lydia had her back in the direction he was coming. 

"Der…" 

"Derek? You're alive." Lydia turned around and exclaimed in shock. 

"Now is not the time. Stiles, do you want the bite?" Derek asked while crouching next to him. 

"Not really, but I'm not ready to die yet. Do it." Derek lifted his shirt and bit his left side, right next to his heart. 

"At least it wasn't the Jeep." Stiles looked over to his car and tried to lighten up the mood a little. Lydia let out the watery laugh. "Did someone check the other driver?" They froze in horror that it even didn't cross their minds till this moment. 

*

The EMT was checking his vitals, when Stiles started. 

"I think there might be a rib poking at my lung, but what do I know? Ignore the bite marks, it was a coyote a couple of days ago." He noticed the bite was fading slowly. 

"You should've had that looked at before then." 

"Nah, it wasn't that serious and my work makes me do all the shots regularly, rabies included. Now what about that rib?" 

"I think you're in shock." 

"Damn right I'm in shock, I'm bleeding internally and you're just asking stupid questions instead of taking me to the hospital." 

"Why didn't you have your seatbelt on?" 

"Because I wasn't driving, I was parked at the side of the road talking to my ex. How is she anyway?" 

"Only small cuts and bruises. She'll be good as new by next week." The other attending answered. 

"And the other guy?" 

"Minor stroke, sprained wrist and seatbelt bruise." 

"Ugh, is it good?" 

"He'll live, nothing permanent. Looks like you've got the worst." 

"Can you give me something for the pain? I feel like I'm going to puke that lung any minute." 

"Yeah, just so I can adjust the dose, any permanent medication you're on?" 

"Adderall, you'll need a lot of anesthesia if you want to operate on me." The EMT plunged the needle with painkiller into his arm and Stiles hissed. "Fucking needles." 

"Don't like those?" 

"I used to faint at their sight and at the sight of blood. And then a guy asked me to chop his arm off and like that I was magically cured." 

"Did you actually do it?" 

"Nah, we managed to get him the antidote before that. Scary shit I tell you."

"Alright we're almost there, do you want us to call someone?" 

"Not really, those who were at the scene will tell anyone that needs to know and my dad will find out anyway, sheriff's privilege and whatnot." 

"A little bit of nepotism in the morning, huh?" 

"Whatever, although I'd rather Melissa McCall didn't know I'm here, some people don't know I'm back and I really don't want them to find out like that." 

"Sure, if she's not on shift it will be pretty easy and we don't divulge personal information to non family members." 

"Add Derek Hale and Lydia Martin to the people allowed to know, while you're at it." 

*

At the crash site the other ambulance was still tending to the other driver and the EMT asked the still standing witnesses. 

"Do either of you want to go with us?" 

"You should go, you have that overdue talk to have. I'm going to take care of this mess and then I'll see you at the hospital." Derek walked away before she had the chance to respond. 

 

~

 

Lydia sat in the waiting room and decided to call Jackson. He answered at the second tone. 

"My dream came true." 

"What dream?" 

" The dream." 

"He died." 

"Yeah." 

"I'm not trying to be insensitive, but did he stay dead?" Lydia started laughing through the tears. "Lydia?" 

"No, he's alive. Derek swooped in and bit him." She heard the tires screech as he stepped the brakes. 

"What? Derek's alive too?" 

"Yeah, I would've been as shocked as you, but I didn't have the time for it." 

"You want me to come back?" 

"No. No, you go as far away as you can. I'm not losing anyone to this town ever again. What do I do now? It happened and he's still alive." 

"And you still love him." It wasn't even a question. 

"You know I do. But I'm not sure he'll be able to forgive me." 

"What was the phrase? 'You won't know if you don't try' or something like that." 

 

~

 

"Hey, Lydia." 

"Hi." 

"Long time no see, right?" He was just a bit bitter and it showed in his voice. 

"Stiles, I'm so sorry, for everything. I didn't mean to leave you like that." 

"Doesn't change the fact that you did. Are you here to explain why?" 

"It's going to sound silly right now, but I had a dream. A recurring dream. With time I convinced myself it was a premonition. And it was. You were laying on the pavement, surrounded by the broken glass from the car's windshield. And you weren't breathing. Just like today. So I thought if I were never near you again, you'd get to live."

"Wow. And I thought you were supposed to be the smart one. I'd never touch a car again if you asked me then. If you'd just tell me, Lyds. What were you thinking?" 

"That you could be alive and happy, maybe with someone, even if I had to sacrifice my own happiness." 

"That's dumb and you know it. But we can't turn back time. I still love you, but I can't see a way back to what we were. All I can offer you right now is friendship." 

"I'll take it, talk to you soon?" 

"Sure." She squeezed his hand and noticed that Derek came into the room and Stiles looked at him with a smile, the same that used to be reserved just for her. 

"I'm sorry again." Lydia said. 

"I know." Stiles answered. She looked one last time at him with an overwhelming sadness and left. 

 

~

 

"You should've seen the way he looks at Derek now." She was crying, holding the phone with a trembling hand. 

"He always looked at him like that, he just chose to be with you before." Jackson commented. 

"So I've lost him anyway." 

"You wanted him alive, he's alive. You chose to leave him, without explanation might I add. What did you expect? Yeah, the Stiles from high school would probably crawl on his knees back to you, but he's not him anymore, is he?" 

 

~

 

After an overnight stay at the hospital Stiles was discharged and Derek took him back to his place. They were currently half an hour into the training. 

"Stiles, change." 

"I don't want to." 

"Do you need me to roar at you?" 

"No, it's just-" He hesitated. "-I know my eyes will be blue, it's not even a question, but I can pretend if I don't see them." 

"Did you blame me for mine all those years?" 

"What? Of course not." 

"Then don't be afraid. Now, eyes." Stiles flashed his eyes for a second and Derek hummed. "Interesting." 

"What is it?" 

"Change again and look in the mirror, then you'll know." 

"Why do you need to be so difficult?" Derek rolled his eyes. Stiles watched himself change and then opened his mouth like a fish for a moment before he burst out. 

"What the fuck does purple mean?" 

"I'm not 100% sure, but I have a theory. That spark that let you manipulate the mountain ash? It's probably similar to the actual alpha spark and now your body can't decide if it should be dominant of your wolf or not." 

"When I couldn't be any more of a freak…" 

"You're not a freak, you're a werewolf, just a little bit enhanced." 

"What a shit show…" 

"Whatever. You still need to train." 

"You forgot I trained both Scott and Liam?" 

"I didn't, now claws." Stiles rolled his eyes, but shifted his hand nonetheless. 

"Do you have an anchor?" 

"I do." 

"What is it?" 

"What's yours? And don't tell me it used to be anger, I know it's not anymore." 

"I try to think of Eli, but somehow I come back to someone else." 

"Derek, I know it's me. I've known since Mexico. You're mine too. It's got to mean something." Derek was just breathing heavily. "You need to use actual words. Do you want me to stay here?" 

"Do you want to stay?" Derek looked at him hopefully. 

"No, I don't, this place is a death trap, as presented by both our near misses just this week. I don't understand why you do, so if I'm actually going to stay, I need to know why." 

"Would me, wanting you to, be enough?" 

"Yes." Stiles put his hands on both sides of Derek's neck and looked him in the eyes. "I thought about it anyway, if Eli wanted to stay, I would. Now you're here and I really want to keep you. Is this a wolf trait?" 

"It's a you trait, but I want to keep you too." 

Notes:

Turns out I can't write a non Sterek fics. I also have this intrusive thought to add another chapter and make it past mpreg... 🙈

Chapter 3

Summary:

Derek tells Stiles what happened during the last few days.

Notes:

I honestly thought I was done with this, but apparently not. Didn't want to post it as a separate story, cause it's not.

Derek was still weak and recovering, so he happened to fall asleep on the couch with his head in Stiles' lap. Stiles got out of his thinking trance when the front door closed with a slight bang. When he noticed it was Eli, he motioned him with his hand to come sit next to him. 

"Hey, bud, where were you?" 

"Trying to lose Scott McCall. Damn, dude needs to get a hint." Eli answered, sitting heavily. 

"What does he want with you?" 

"He wanted me to live with him and his girlfriend, Allison." 

"He got another girlfriend named Allison? Talk about unhealthy." Stiles asked, surprised. 

"From what I gathered it's the same one."

If Stiles was currently holding something, it would break. 

"Hold on. Let me get this straight. You're saying that the girl that died in 2011 is suddenly alive again? I'm gonna need to hear the whole story at some point, damn it. Also wasn't Peter going to do his lawyer-y thing to reinstate your Dad back to the land of the living?" 

"He did, just… why would he bother to tell McCall anything?" Stiles hummed in agreement. 

"You're right. If someone knows how to hold a grudge, it's Peter. Oh my God, he had to see his family burn again… I'm making all of you go to therapy. Fuck." Stiles groaned and ran his hand over his face. 

"Hey! I'm fine, I don't need therapy." Eli protested. 

"Yes, you do. So do I. And so does he." Stiles punctuated it with a tug on Derek's hair he was playing with. 

"So, you guys are a thing now?" Eli asked, suddenly realizing their positioning. 

"Maybe, I don't know. It's complicated." 

"How complicated could it be? You both love each other and if you're worried about me, don't be, I totally ship it." 

"Thanks, pup." 

"Not a puppy." Eli protested with a gruff. Stiles only laughed while ruffling Eli's hair. 

"You need a haircut. If you weren't a werewolf I'd be worried about you going blind. Reminds me of Scott at your age." 

"Please, don't compare us, I don't want to think about him after he just let my dad do what he did." 

"Sorry, I won't again. Do you want to talk about something else instead?" Stiles asked and Eli hummed a little. 

"I've never seen him voluntarily fall asleep with somebody else in the room." 

"I'm still learning these new instincts, but it feels safe with him, I'm guessing it's the same for him with me." 

*

"Did you recover enough so I can finally yell at you for being an idiot?" 

"Can I say no?" Derek asked, almost teasingly. 

"If you can joke about it, you can explain too. So from the beginning." 

"Just so you know, most of it I found out after everything and from Peter. Couple of days ago, a person appeared in one particular restaurant in Japan, looking for a box with triskelion on it. Liam and Hikari tried to protect it, but were overpowered." 

"But not killed, I wonder why." 

"It was always a game, remember?" Stiles hummed in acknowledgement. "The intruder made a deal with it, freedom in exchange for retribution." 

"Why did Liam even have it? Last time I saw it, Issac was about to take it with him to France. I didn't think they even knew each other." 

"As far as I know they still don't. And for why it was with Liam and Hikari, I honestly have no idea. It was supposed to be buried, we talked about the unused part of the Paris catacombs or even one of the Argent vaults, before Isaac left. I was going to ask about it when we weren't in immediate danger anymore." 

"Mhm, who's this Hikari person?" 

"I don't really know her, I've barely seen her twice. I only know she's a fire kitsune and has some connection to Liam. Most people think they're dating, but I'm not entirely convinced." 

"Alright, back to the story." 

"The Nogitsune decided to mess with Scott next, sending him dreams about Allison being in bardo. Argent came to him claiming he's seen the same thing. Turns out he was already possessed, well, until Deaton confronted it and it fled. Before that he told Scott and Deaton a story about a ritual that was supposed to help her: with ash from the place she died, the weapon that killed her, but it had to be done by the next full moon."

"And no one thought it was suspicious? She's been dead for 15 fucking years. Why couldn't it be done right after she died or literally any other day throughout those years?" 

"Don't be mad at me for this, I didn't even know they did it until she tried to kill me again." 

"We'll get back to that. What happened next?" 

"At the same time Lydia was having visions too, drew the pieces of Nemeton, and then Jackson of all people put them together." 

"Jackson? You replaced me as a detective with Jackson. Now I'm really offended." And he sounded like he actually was. 

"I thought it was an unlikely event too, but well, not my circus, not my monkeys. At least they weren't then." 

"And what was happening here?" 

"Someone was setting fires all around the preserve, using a chemical accelerant. It burned faster than normal, so the fire wouldn't spread out. It was suspicious, but we didn't have any leads. I told your dad to call you, but he insisted that you had your own fires to put out." 

"You could've called me yourself. At least now I know from where Harris got enough mountain ash to surround the whole stadium." Stiles got lost in thought for a bit. "Wait a second, were you at those places? Like on the burnt grounds?" 

"Well, yeah, I was checking them." 

"So, you were able to walk through the mountain ash and didn't think it was unusual?" 

"I'm not a botanist, I didn't know they were rowan trees until you just told me." 

"Idiots. I'm surrounded by idiots." Derek decided to ignore Stiles' comment. 

"When they did the ritual to bring Allison back, it opened the passage between this plane of existence and the bardo. She got reconstituted out of thin air, but they let the Nogitsune do the same. Additionally she didn't have memories of anyone, but for some reason she knew she was supposed to hunt werewolves. Especially me."

"And isn't that convenient? Perfect little brainwashed hunter. Was she mind-wiped or something? 

"She could be from another universe for all I know, but everyone seems convinced it's actually her." 

"I knew you were secretly a geek." Stiles beamed at him. 

"Whatever. She kicked Scott's and Malia's asses and left the hospital to who knows where, while the Nogitsune was stealing powers from one of deputies." 

"What kind of powers?" 

"Apparently he was a kitsune too, just didn't know it and Nogitsune needed Oni, so it took his tails. Then Allison showed up, all geared up and tried to shoot at Eli." Stiles sucked out a breath. "I told him to run, while I went to lead her away from him. She shot me in the neck. I'd probably be dead, but Liam and Hikari decided to show up and save me." 

"Remind me to send them a gift basket." Derek chuckled. 

"Meanwhile most of the police department was being kidnapped or killed by the Oni. Then Peter was raving about lighting a Spark or two in his time, before burning the wolfsbane out of me." 

"If he was for some reason talking about me, I'm gonna punch him so hard…" 

"Allison went after Eli again, but Scott managed to make him turn and heal, so they could run. I forgot to mention he twisted his ankle during a lacrosse game."

"Oh, man, I'm getting flashbacks. Don't tell me he's as uncoordinated as I was back then." 

"Even worse." 

"Sucks to be you, you raised a mini me." Stiles commented cheekily. 

"Yeah, seeing him like this made me miss you a bit less." 

"Aww, Der. Don't go all soft on me now. You have a story to finish." Stiles cooed. 

"Fine. Scott then turned her attention to him, so Eli could run. It worked, he distracted her and then walked into her dagger." 

"He's even more stupid than I thought." 

"He is. Meanwhile the Oni took some of us into its, I don't know, shadow dimension or something and bound us to different architectural elements. Scott was still trying to convince Allison who she was, and seeing as he's still alive, it was successful. Then, for some reason, Nogitsune made Eli play lacrosse and Scott joined him. Harris shot Jackson, cornered Lydia and made her tell him why she left you."

"I've heard it already, don't need a repeat." 

"There was also the fact that Peter was threatening to tear Allison's throat out like he did her aunt, but Argent threw a poisoned dagger at him." 

"Hmm, yeah, I get both of their points of view. On one hand we have eliminating the threat, who, may I add, went crazy hunter before; on the other hand we have a father trying to save his daughter. If it was my child who was threatened, even a brainwashed one, I'd probably use a more permanent solution. Just sayin." Derek's heart skipped a beat and Stiles eyed him suspiciously, but didn't comment. 

"Then the battle started and our side was losing, so Lydia wailed to knock the Oni out and Allison apparently got her memories back. The Nogitsune wanted Scott to die in Allison's arms, like she did in his. It promised to let everyone else go if she put an arrow to his heart. She put three, but apparently he, um, borrowed Hikari's powers and burned them out."

"Werewolves can do that?" 

"I didn't know either and I've been one my whole life." 

"Something doesn't add up, but please continue." 

"Rest of the team shot the Oni with silver, Jackson stabbed Harris. Eli helped me free the previously bound ones. The Nogitsune appeared to have turned into something, still not sure what has eyes in that shade."

"Green, right?" 

"Yeah, how do you know?" 

"Peter told me, but what shade? Deep green, like Kate? Light green, like Löwenmensch?" 

"Even lighter." 

"Yeah, I'm gonna stay on the opinion it was an illusion too. I'll probably look for it later, but let's finish it." 

"It tried to single us out, but we caught it. Someone had to hold it, while Parrish burnt it. I wouldn't let Eli do it and he needed an alpha, so I pushed Scott off the Nemeton." 

"And then you died." 

"It felt like dying, but I can't be sure. There's two options. One: I didn't die and got knocked from the stump, two: I did die, but the afterlife wouldn't take me and the Nemeton spit me out, like it did with Allison before." 

"We'll probably never find out. What's important is that you're alive and here. One thing I know is that you need a therapist. I don't care that you thought it was the right thing to do, you're clearly suicidal." 

"I'll go, I promise. Do you have any other questions?" 

"It's a lot to take in at once. I'm going to be overthinking what I would do differently for the next, at least, couple months. But right now I'm going for a walk." Stiles stood up and started waking away. Derek tried to protest it, but Stiles silenced him before he could. "I need air, but I'll be back soon. I'm not going to maul anyone, don't worry."

Notes:

It's basically a rumble about the movie plot holes, sorry.

Chapter 4

Summary:

Where did Eli come from?

Notes:

I just couldn't fucking help myself 🙈
Please ignore it.

Stiles decided to visit Peter and interrogate him a bit. 

"I have a weird question. Hypothetically, what would it take for two dudes to have a child together? I mean a biological one." 

"You're asking in a supernatural sense, not a new technology sense I assume?" 

"Yeah." 

"Hm, it's not exactly a common thing, but it can actually happen. Some of the shapeshifters, werewolves included, develop a secondary reproductive system when there isn't a suitable partner of opposite sex in the Pack, family, etc. They're even more receptive to magic users of any kind. You wanna tell me what it's actually about? "

"What do you know about Eli's mother?" 

"A whole nothing. Derek always cuts everyone out when they try." Stiles sweared under his breath. "Wanna elaborate?" 

"I just wonder how I didn't notice before how much Eli acts like me these days." 

"You feel that he's yours?" 

"Yeah…" 

"It's the new instincts, you wouldn't notice before, but a wolf parent will always recognize their cub." Stiles opened and closed his mouth a couple of times and finally spoke. 

"I've got to go…" 

"I know, good luck." 

 

~

 

"Pup's home?" 

"No, he went to the shop. Why?" 

"That's good, because we need to talk." He took a couple of deep breaths and asked. "Derek, is Eli somehow my child too? Did we sleep together and somehow I forgot?" The werewolf in question exhaled heavily. 

"I was worried it would come out eventually. Stiles, just so you know, I'm really sorry, for not telling you and for it even happening, but I'm not sorry for Eli's existence. He's a great kid." 

"He is. Just tell me, it won't be worse than being possessed and killing dozens of people." At Derek's crestfallen expression he added. "Or is it?" 

"Yes, he's biologically yours too. He doesn't have a mother because I was the one to give birth to him. I now know you don't remember it, but we slept together. I always wondered why you never mentioned that night, I thought you regretted it. Finding out later that you probably weren't in charge of your own mind… I was ashamed. It ranks around the same as sleeping with a hunter that burned your whole family. Loving you and then finding out what I actually did, oh God, Stiles…" Stiles' eyes were unfazed as he slid down the wall he was leaning into. 

"God fucking damn it. How much longer is this stupid fox demon going to ruin my life?..." He hit the back of his head against the wall a few times, then continued. "You shouldn't blame yourself, there was no way you could've known it wasn't me." 

"I should've. I knew you were attracted to me then, but I didn't want to act on anything I felt towards you, at least until you were of age. But then Jennifer happened and I became an even bigger mess. One day you came to the loft and asked if you could stay and I let you. We cuddled and fell asleep." 

"Yeah, I remember that." Stiles smiled a little at the memory. 

"What you don't remember is waking up as a big spoon and grinding against my ass. It just went downhill from there." 

"I always thought you'd rather top in this combination." 

"It's not funny." 

"I'd rather joke about it than actually let the knowledge sink in. God, it's like a double sided rape… Fuck, Derek, I'm so sorry. I knew about your issues with consent and then this…" 

"Why are you sorry? If I didn't want it, I could easily overpower you. You were the underage one and I should've known better." 

"We're both so fucked up." Stiles extended his hand, so that Derek could take it, but then he pulled him to the floor too. They were sitting there, arm to arm, not really knowing how to act any more. 

"When I found out about his existence, I knew I had to do anything and everything to keep him safe. I suspected something was, not wrong per se, with me, but different, but only a few days after I left in Mexico, I knew what happened. I heard a heartbeat and I fucking broke down. I cried like a baby, for both of us. It was so fucking terrifying. But then I decided to go to Brazil, to Cora's pack and they were so good to me. I'd probably still be with them, if not for the disturbances with hunters all around. So I left him. He stayed with Cora, while I was tracking those rogue hunters and during the events with Monroe and Anuk-ite. When you found me during that FBI operation… I knew I wouldn't be able to convince you to leave that kind of life, but if you weren't involved in all this supernatural bullshit, you'd be much safer anyway. Never mind the fact that you were in love with Lydia and happy being that way."

"Sometimes love's not enough." Stiles commented sadly. 

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you, I often wonder what our lives would look like if you were around more." 

"Yeah, I do too." 

"At least I could keep a part of you in my- our son." 

"It still weirds me out that an actual guy can birth a child and I don't mean it like a sexual identity of man with the right parts to do so. Peter explained to me how it happens, but why? Was it some kind of spell? Does evolution work that way? I mean, are you a part seahorse or some shit?" 

"Hilarious, but actually kinda close." 

"You're kidding me?" 

"Of course I am." Derek answered with an exasperated tone and Stiles punched him in the arm. "What are we going to tell him?" 

"How about nothing?" 

"You might be on the right track. It's probably better that way, we don't want him to hate us both for not telling him. But Peter knows too and he won't be quiet about it." 

"Can't we kill him again?" 

"No. But he'd keep a secret if you'd asked him to." 

 

~

 

"Stiles? What are you doing here?" Scott asked, surprised by seeing his old friend. 

"Cleaning up your mess, like always. It's good to actually see you after all those years, but Scott, listen to me, you need to leave Eli alone." 

"Derek asked me to take care of him." 

"Derek didn't know what he was talking about. Did you even bother to check who's his legal guardian now? Don't answer, that was a rhetorical question. Of course not, or you'd know it's me." 

"You won't be able to take care of him like I can." 

"Why's that? Because you're a werewolf?" 

"Amongst other things." 

"So you completely forgot that I was the one that taught both you and Liam how to be one?" 

"I didn't, but he needs a Pack, he needs an alpha." 

"He has both, not that you care." Before Scott could respond, he continued. "It should've been you." 

"What?" 

"With the Nogitsune. It should've been you burning with it. It's your goddamn duty as an alpha to protect your Pack. At all costs. I don't fucking care that you've just been reunited with the love of your life. Pack always comes first. The most vulnerable come first. What were you thinking would happen to Eli? You wanted to make a Derek's copy, huh? Traumatizing a child, like your little hunter's aunt did to Derek at the same age. I bet she got the sick glee Kate did all those years ago."

"Don't you dare talk about Allison like that." Scott lunged at Stiles and flashed his eyes, but Stiles managed to divert him and was now pinning him to the wall by his throat and flashing his own, purple, eyes. 

"Or what? Truth hurts, huh Scott? You don't even know how much pent up guilt fell from my heart when I heard she's alive. But then I was told she was trying to kill all of you, stabbed you, shot Derek, shot at Eli, repeatedly . Who the fuck does that? He didn't even have time to do anything bad. He's fucking 15." 

"How long have you been a werewolf, Stiles?" 

"Two whole days. I've been in a car crash and got offered the bite and I took it." 

"There's another alpha in this territory?" 

"Of course you're going to ignore everything I just said." Stiles commented with an eye roll. "And yes, there is." 

"Who is it?" 

"Derek." Stiles answered off-handedly. 

"He can't be, he's dead." 

"He's not, not thanks to you." 

"How?" 

"I don't have to tell you anything. Just like you didn't tell me what was happening here. If you pulled out your head from Allison's ass for 5 fucking minutes, you'd know. It's like you reverted to your 16 years old personality and I don't have the time for this. Now get the fuck out of here, I have more important things to do."

 

~

 

"Morrell, speaking." 

"Hey, Marin." 

"Hello, Stiles. What can I do for you today?" 

"I wonder if you could refer me some therapist in the know?" 

"You know you can always talk to me, right?" 

"I know and I probably will, but this one is not for me. I need someone objective, who won't put the story to the told events and no offense, but you know too much and they won't be able to trust you after all that shit that went down during the Alpha Pack."

"Will you ever forgive me for those?" 

"I did, doesn't mean I can forget. Derek got even worse than me because of it. So, do you have someone? And be sure I'm going to check their entire background." 

"I get it, I'll send you the number." 

"Thanks, Marin." 

"Take care of yourself, Stiles." 

 

~

 

Eli was watching the therapist in silence for a while, while the doctor in question asked. 

"Would you like to talk about something today?" 

"I didn't even want to be here. Dad's new boyfriend made me come." 

"Why do you think it wasn't warranted?" 

"Because I'm fine, I don't need a shrink." 

"I see. How did he explain his reasoning for this visit?"

"I guess it has something to do with the fact I've seen my dad burn, just like my dad saw his family burn when he was around my age." 

 

~

 

"This fucking paperwork is a literal nightmare. Even with you alive, you've signed me as Eli's legal guardian, I'm going to need to actually adopt him. Eli Stilinski doesn't sound good. Ugh, it sounds disgustingly familiar to my grandfather." Stiles narrowed his eyes at Derek. "If I find out his full name is actually Elias, I'm going to fucking skin you alive."

"He wouldn't need to change his last name, if you'd change yours." 

"Did you- did you seriously just fucking propose?" 

"Only if you're going to say yes." 

"Show me the ring and I'll think about it." Derek rolled his eyes. 

"Your theme song should be Material Girl." 

"Gotta love that sass, but I thought you were the girl in this relationship." 

"Are you sex shaming me right now? Damn, I knew at some point you were going to make fun of me for bottoming." 

"What? God no. Stop with the gaslighting, it's not funny." 

"It's a little funny." 

"Only to you. You could fuck me too, if you wanted." 

"I'll think about it. What about that yes you owe me?" 

"You're the worst, but okay, yes." 

 

Notes:

I'm sorry, to everyone who managed to survive to this.